May 13 – After a rocky start to the 2025 season, the Atlanta Braves received good news Monday.
Ronald Acuna Jr., a four-time All-Star outfielder with a torn ACL, will begin his rehab assignment on Tuesday after missing nearly a year. There is no schedule for his comeback to the majors, but this is a significant step for the 2023 National League MVP.
“It’ll be a day-to-day thing there, too,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “They’ll re-evaluate him again like anybody the day after and see how he feels, but it’ll just be good to get him running around in the outfield again.”
Acuna Jr. appeared in 49 games last season before suffering a fully ruptured ACL in his left knee, ending his season. The 27-year-old was batting.250, with four home runs, 15 RBIs, 38 runs, and 16 stolen bases.
Over seven seasons with the Braves, Acuna Jr. batted.289 with 165 home runs, 417 RBIs, 581 runs, 196 stolen bases, and a.904 OPS, earning three Silver Slugger awards.
In 29 postseason games, the outfielder has three home runs, 17 runs, nine RBI, five stolen bases, and a.257 batting average.
Acuna Jr. will begin his assignment at North Port of the Florida Complex Rookie League, playing outfield. He will be re-evaluated before continuing his rehabilitation at Triple-A Gwinnett. Braves pitcher Spencer Strider (hamstring) will also throw 70-75 pitches in a simulated game on Wednesday, according to reports.
Strider, 26, was placed on the disabled list last month after suffering a right hamstring strain while playing catch. He may skip a minor-league rehab start and rejoin the Braves’ rotation for next week’s series against the Washington Nationals, which begins May 20.
Strider pitched five innings in his 2025 debut on April 16, following a nine-inning season in 2024 due to a bone fragment severing his UCL. In his only start, Strider allowed five hits, two runs, and one walk while striking out five batters in a 3-1 defeat to the Toronto Blue Jays.
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